Life Sciences Commons^™

The Environment And Population Differences In Anjan Grass (Cenchrus Ciliaris) In Western India, S C. Pandeya

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Cenchrus ciliaris (anjan or buffel grass) is a gregarious fodder species with high nutritive value. The species is an inhabitant of drier sandy areas throughout Africa, Canary Island, Madagascar and eastwards to India, where it mostly occurs in western parts of the country, constituting the States of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Hayana and the adjoining portions of Punjab, U ttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh ( called here in as Western India). In Western India, Cen­chrus ciliaris (Cc) variously dominates the nat­urally occurring grazing lands exhibiting great morphological variations with respect to habit. and spike characters. The ecoclimate of Western India is arid …

Review Of 50 Years Grassland Farming And Trends Of Development In The Further Intensification Of Forage Production In The German Democratic Republic, Eberhard Wojahn

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

This our XIII International Grassland Congress is being held at the invitation of the Govern­ment of the German Democratic Republic following the decision of the XII International Grassland Congress in Moscow in 1974 that this Congress shall be held as a jubilee event here in Leipzig. It is the Jubilee Congress reminding us of the First International Grass­land Congress which was held 50 years ago, during the last days of May, 1927, in this time-honoured University town and centre of world trade. Because of that jubilee character this XIII International Grassland Congress is of very special importance.

Influence Of Feeding On Health And Productivity Of Ruminants, Alexander Sommer

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

As to the utilization of plant matter not suited for direct consumption by man, ruminants are of outstanding importance. This fact is related with the function of their specific stom­ach system. The paper discusses the microbial protein synthesis from NPN compounds. When 50 per cent of digestible crude protein required by fattening cattle were replaced, daily live weight gains of 997 g were reached; beef quality was not affected. Similarly favourable results were obtained with dairy cows when replacing by NPN compounds 50 to 100 per cent of extracted meals. Further on, the problem of crude-fibre diges­tion in connection with …

Oregon State Rank Assessment For Deschutes Milkvetch (Astragalus Tegetarioides), Nora Dunkirk, Gabriel Campbell, Sue Vrilakas

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Oregon state conservation status assessment for Deschutes Milkvetch (Astragalus tegetarioides) using NatureServe methodology, 2026.

Oregon State Rank Assessment For Mt. Hood Bugbane (Actaea Laciniata), Nora Dunkirk

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Oregon state conservation status assessment for Mt. Hood Bugbane (Actaea laciniata) using NatureServe methodology, 2026.

Height Does Not Impair The Hydraulic System Of The Tallest Tropical Dipterocarp Trees, Paulo Bittencourt, Arne Scheire, Palasiah Jotan, Jehova Lourenço-Junior, Lindsay F. Banin, Mohd. Aminur Faiz Bin Suis, David Frp Burslem, Bradley O. Christoffersen, David Coomes, Peter Groenendijk

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

Half of the aboveground biomass in forests is stored in a disproportionately small number of very tall trees. These giants are predicted to be more vulnerable to drought-induced damage because height impairs their hydraulic system. We evaluated whether the hydraulic system of world’s tallest tropical tree species—Southeast Asian dipterocarps—are negatively affected by their height. The more negative xylem pressures caused by tree height were fully compensated for through adjustment of vessel anatomy and leaf hydraulic traits, and the trees suffered no height-related loss in growth during a severe drought. Therefore, height does not make the hydraulic systems of the world’s …

Soil And Crop Productivity Under On-Farm Vermiculture-Based Farming System At Smallholder Rates In The Sub-Humid Tropics, Felix Matheri, Edward Karanja, David Bautze, Milka Kiboi

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Introduction – Vermiculture-based manures such as vermicompost and its byproducts like vermiculture are gaining importance as viable alternative soil amendments. This is practically feasible, especially in subsistence farming, by replacing common organic and synthetic inputs that are often costly and inaccessible to farmers. However, the effectiveness of vermiculture tea as a sole amendment or in combination with other inputs has not been tested under field conditions. Moreover, its longterm impact on soil and crop productivity has not been established. Methods – We conducted an on-farm field study in farmers' fields to evaluate the effects of sole vermiculture tea (Vermi), in …

Assessing Integrated Pest Management Protocols For The Invasive Aquatic Weed Giant Salvinia (Salvinia Molesta), Samantha Lee Prinsloo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Giant salvinia (Salvinia molesta) is free-floating aquatic fern that originates from South America. Through human introduction, giant salvinia has escaped its native range and is listed as an invasive species across multiple continents causing negative socio-economic and environmental impacts. This research aimed to expand our understanding of integrated pest management for controlling giant salvinia by combining chemical and biological control. The objectives were to assess the effects of rainfastness, carrier volume, and growth stage on herbicide efficacy, assess augmented biological control and optimal weevil release densities, assess weevil populations in the field, determine herbicide and surfactant toxicity to …

Field Trials Report 2025: Wa Farming Systems Project (Daw2204-003rtx), Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Farm Systems and Economics research reports

In 2025 the Western Australian Farming Systems Project continued its program of field trials, from Northampton in the north to Wittenoom Hills in the south, to address our project outputs; investigate diversity within farming systems, evaluate changes in sowing opportunities, identify profitable low greenhouse gas emission options and monitor crown rot following diverse crop sequences.

Evaluating Fungicide Programs For Grapevine Disease Management And Fungicide Sensitivity Monitoring, Abraham Ahumada

Master's Theses

Grapevine diseases, such as powdery mildew and Botrytis bunch rot, require repeated fungicide applications to maintain fruit quality and reduce yield losses. However, fungicide performance can vary among products, application programs, disease pressure, and pathogen sensitivity. This thesis evaluated fungicide programs for control of powdery mildew in ‘Chardonnay’ grapes and assessed fungicide sensitivity of Botrytis cinerea isolates collected from California vineyards.

Powdery mildew, caused by the fungal pathogen Erysiphe necator, is a major threat to the production of Vitis vinifera grapes worldwide. Because powdery mildew management relies heavily on fungicide applications, field evaluations are needed to compare the efficacy …

Has Plant Domestication Compromised Plant Defensive Chemistry? Aphid Induced Stress In Tomatoes, Nhi Do, Satinderpal Kaur, Minxing Zhu, Esther N. Ngumbi

MICRO-CCS student projects

Tomato plants have natural defensive mechanisms.

Direct: Phenolics are secondary metabolites that can protect the plant by intoxicating the herbivores and/or producing strong repulsive odors.

Indirect: VOCs, Volatile Organic Chemicals, are gas phase signals that attract the predators of the attacking herbivore to the plant.

Domestication of plants may chemically alter these defenses by prioritizing fruit production over defensive traits.

We hypothesize that wild/ancient tomato plants would have a greater quantity of volatiles and increased concentration of leaf total phenolics compared to cultivated tomatoes during aphid herbivory.

How Does High-Oil Sorghum Change Potential Extracellular Enzyme Activity Across Soil Depth Profiles Under Drought Conditions?, Krystal Monique Role, Rounak Patra, Wendy Yang

MICRO-CCS student projects

Transgenic oil sorghum reallocates photosynthate-carbon (C) into vegetative lipids, accumulating nonstructural lipids in both shoot and root tissues. Altered plant C allocation and root lipid accumulation may shift root exudate chemistry, belowground C inputs, and microbial nutrient demand throughout the soil profile. While aboveground productivity in high-oil sorghum is well-characterized, its belowground impacts on soil microbial enzyme activity and exchangeable cation dynamics, especially across soil horizons under drought stress remain unknown.

Project objective was to find out how transgenic high oil sorghum (Tx-HO1) influences CNP acquiring extracellular enzyme activities and soil exchangeable cation dynamics across soil horizons under drought and …

Soil Microbiome Effect On Seedling Diseases And High Throughput Isolate Identification, Annalaysia Smith, Mara Krone, Santiago Mideros

MICRO-CCS student projects

The soil microbiome has a substantial effect on disease suppression. Organic farming is a practice used to create a more diverse microbiome which can create disease suppression. Different agricultural practices such as fertilization and rotation system are known to affect the microbiome (Schlatter et al 2017). Therefore, it is important to study the effects of different microbiomes on disease suppression. Furthermore, methods are necessary for quantifying the effect of disease suppression on specific pathogen populations. To do this, it is important to properly identify the pathogens.

Objectives:

1. Test if different nitrogen treatments cause variations in organic soils disease suppression. …

Fungal Diversity In Lespedeza Cuneata Roots, Gwendolyn Happ, Sophia Mcdade, Anthony Yannarell

MICRO-CCS student projects

Background

• Plants form a relationship with fungi that can be beneficial or harmful
• Fungi may grow on the plant surface, within plant tissues, or around roots
• Plants release compounds that invite fungi to their roots and chemicals  that can diminish unwanted fungi

Why Lespedeza cuneata? 

• Invasive that competes with native plants and damages biodiversity within plant and animal communities
• Alters soil microbiome
• Expansive seed bank and deep root system
• Understanding its microbiome can help in understanding invasive species success and ecology

Nitrogen Use Efficiency Of Rice Expressing Arabidopsis Thaliana Dreb1a Gene, Yanis Anetha Vasquez Valdes

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rice is a globally consumed crop and feeds more than half of the world’s population. Nitrogen (N) fertilization is required for increasing rice crop production and yield, but producers often overuse N fertilizers, exceeding plant uptake capacity. Around 40% of the applied N is lost through volatilization and denitrification to the environment, causing algal bloom formation, greenhouse gas emissions, and water pollution. Therefore, improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in rice has become a principal objective to achieve sustainable agriculture. NUE is a complex trait in rice that coordinates three processes: nitrogen uptake, transport and assimilation, which together support photosynthesis, biomass …

Afforestation Strategies In Semi-Arid Mediterranean Ecosystems: Experimental Evidence From Chmistar, Lebanon, Ahmad Saker, Mohammad Saleh, Wael Mostafa, Safaa Baydoun, Jamilah Borjac, Dalia El-Badan

BAU Journal - Science and Technology

The success rate of broadleaf tree growth in semi-arid Mediterranean environments is reduced in afforestation operations constrained by water scarcity, shallow soil depth, and intense competition from herbaceous vegetation. This study, conducted between 2022 and 2024 in Chmistar, East Lebanon, using a completely randomized block design, aimed to evaluate the impact of three planting broadleaf trees techniques (traditional digging pits , hoedad tools, and auger digging) and four effective vegetation control (herbicide application, mowing,  mulching, and no control) on the early growth of three native broadleaf tree species (Pistacia palaestina, Quercus calliprinos, and Quercus infectoria ).

The …

A Review On Nanoparticles: Classification And Roles In Plant Systems, Muhammad Junaid Zafar, Muhammad Shafiq, Muhammad Azeem Rana

Journal of Bioresource Management

Nanotechnology has been a new paradigm of the twenty-first century with several good breakthroughs. These tiny particles, known for their outstanding qualities, are enjoying an increasing influence in many research fields concerning foodstuff, cosmetics, electronics, and pharmacology. Synthesis of nanoparticles includes utilizing chemical processes with reducing agents, alongside employing physical techniques such as top-down and bottom-up approaches for NP formation. The biological approach, known as green synthesis, utilizes plant extracts to ensure increased safety. Biological methods also involve bacteria and fungi, known as the major sources of nanoparticles. It is acknowledged as the most effective and environmentally conscious approach, attributed …

The Multifaceted Medicinal Properties Of Momordica Charantia: Insights Into Phytochemistry And Therapeutic Applications, Maham Ashfaq, Haroon Ur Rashid, Javaria Ashfaq, Shazia Ramzan, Fatma Hussain

Journal of Bioresource Management

Momordica charantia (bitter melon) is a significant medicinal plant, having been long used in traditional medicine in Asian, African and South American systems. M. charantia is more than a traditional medicine; by consolidating existing evidence, it is a promising source of drug discovery and can serve as a complementary in contemporary therapeutics. Over the last several decades, it has become the subject of contemporary biomedical studies due to its abundance of phytochemicals, such as saponins, flavonoids, alkaloids, and polypeptides. These bioactive compounds present a wide range of pharmacological processes that M. charantia can be a natural solution to some of …

R Code And Supporting Data For "Fast And Slow Water Handling Strategies Explain Pinyon Pine Decline And Juniper Expansion", Andrew Kulmatiski, Muhammad Faraz Rehman

Browse all Datasets

This repository contains the datasets, R scripts, HYDRUS-1D model files, weather data, and supporting materials used for the M.S. thesis, "Fast and Slow Water Handling Strategies Explain Pinyon Pine Decline and Juniper Expansion." The study investigated root water uptake and water-use strategies of pinyon pine (Pinus edulis) and Utah juniper (Juniperus osteosperma) using stable isotope tracer experiments, soil water flow modeling, leaf water potential measurements, stomatal conductance measurements, and environmental data collected across an aridity gradient in southern Utah, USA.

Editorial: Plant Responses To Abiotic Stress: Unraveling Complex Mechanisms Through Genomics And Physiology, Mizanur Rahman, Takashi Asaeda, Md Harun Rashid

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Understanding The Needs And Practices Of Cut Flower Growers In Louisiana, Jessie M. Hoover

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The specialty cut flower industry is expanding nationwide, including southeastern states such as Louisiana. Existing studies and market analyses focus on national trends of other regions with established floriculture networks, leaving a critical gap in understanding the unique challenges and opportunities faced by growers in Louisiana. This lack of data limits the ability of extension professionals, policymakers, and industry stakeholders to develop targeted strategies that support local production and market development. This study used qualitative case study methods to investigate the practices, challenges, and needs of 13 specialty cut flower growers in Louisiana. The study utilized Urie Bronfenbrenner’s (1979, 1986) …

Amending Planting Media With Typha-Derived Biochar For Sustainable Horticulture, Elissa Touma

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Constructed wetlands are widely used to improve water quality by removing excess nutrients from wastewater and stormwater. Nutrients are stored within wetland vegetation, particularly in fast-growing plants such as Typha. Harvesting vegetation provides an opportunity to permanently remove these nutrients while generating biomass suitable for beneficial reuse. Converting harvested biomass into value-added products such as compost and biochar can support nutrient recovery and sustainable biomass management. In addition, increasing concerns regarding the environmental impacts of peat extraction have created interest in renewable alternatives for horticultural growing media. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of harvested …

Impact On Energy Budgets In Grassland Production And Conservation Of Possible Production Of Energy From Biomass Crops, R J. Wilkins

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

There is commonly a conflict between output/unit of area of land and output/unit of support-energy (SE) input. The possibil­ity of using a proportion of the total land area for biomass energy production suggests an approach for calculating grassland out­put/ha unconfounded with differences in SE input. Output can be calculated for an area of land that is devoted to grassland and biomass energy crops in proportions that result in a net demand for SE of zero. Outputs of utilized metabolizable energy (UME) are related to inputs of SE for (1) grazed grass with high application of nitrogen (N) fertilizer and (2) …

Efficiency Of Dairying Under Contrasting Feeding And Management Systems In North America, Israel, Europe, And New Zealand, J.D. J. Scott

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Four different systems of feeding and managing dairy cattle are seen in major milk-producing countries. These are (1) feeding purchased roughages and concentrates to zero-grazed, intensively penned cows; (2) home growing of roughages and most con­centrates for zero-grazed animals; (3) feeding concentrates with conserved pasture and other roughages in winter and reduced concentrates to grazed cattle in spring-summer; and (4) feeding cattle on grazed pasture and conserved pasture throughout the year. The following data on the four systems were obtained from examples in southern California, Wisconsin, England/Wales, and New Zealand. Average fat-corrected milk (FCM)/cow is approximately 7,140, 5,300, 4,670, and …

Potential Contribution Of White Clover To The Economics And Support-Energy Inputs Of Grass-Based Beef-Production Systems, T A. Stewart, R E. Haycock, A S. Laidlaw

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Biological output, gross margins, and efficiency of support-energy usage in an 18-month beef-production system on grass-white clover swards receiving either 50 kg N/ha stocked at 3.3 head/ha (low N) or 300 kg N/ha stocked 4.5 head/ha (high N) were compared. To date, two production cycles (1977-1979 and 1978-1980) at two sites have been completed. Mean live-weight and carcass gains/ha were, respectively, 17.5% and 14% higher from the high-N than from the low-N system. Gross margin/head was higher from the high-N system in the first production cycle but not in the second. In the low-N system as com· pared with the …

An Evaluation Of The Black Walnut- Tall Fescue Pasture-Management System, H E. Garrett, W B. Kurtz

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The economic and biological feasibility. of a black walnut-livestock-grazing multicropping-management regime bas been evaluated for comparison with a similar livestock-management regime conducted in the open. Pure tall fescue plots were established under open and black walnut-shade conditions. Forage yields on a dry-weight basis were estimated for a 3-year period. A concurrent grazing trial was co􀀌ducted on similar sites using 1.2-ha plots. Black walnut seedlings were planted within the plots on a 3 x 12-m spacing and protected from grazing animals by electric fencing. The economic analyses of the alternate grazing systems were based on their respective present net worth and …

Economics Of Renovating Mountain Hay Meadows, J J. Jacobs

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

There are approximately 0.5 million hectares (ha) of irrigated native grass hay in the mountain and intermountain regions of California, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado. Often these lands are not producing at their full physical or economic potential. The objectives of this study were to identify alternative improvement procedures to increase hay production and to determine the economic feasibility of those alternatives. The principal means of identifying alternative mountain hay-meadow improvement practices and their costs was personal in­terviews with ranchers. The ranchers interviewed were owners and/or operators of mountain ranches in Wyoming who were us­ing or had …

Pasture Demonstration Program For Beef: Economic Considerations, P R. Hasbargen, R H. Craven, N P. Martin

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

This study made an economic evaluation of several alternative pasture improvement programs on beef farms in northern Minnesota. Three questions were addressed relative to several pasture improvement systems. These were (1) Will it pay? (2) Is there a cheaper way? and (3) Is there a more profitable system for a particular farm resource situation? Partial budgeting and computerized linear programming techniques were used to analyze pasture cost and return data obtained from several ranches in northern Minnesota. Study results show that rented pastures, when available, provided the cheapest source of additional summer feed, and that legume pastures provide cheaper sources …

Pennsylvania's Alfalfa Growers Program: Four Years Of Success, J E. Baylor, L E. Lanyon, W K. Waters

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is the most important perennial forage legume grown in Pennsylvania. However, yields currently reported by farmers are considerably below what might be expected when all production inputs are utilized. Therefore, a pro­gram was developed (1) to measure how much alfalfa hay, protein, and energy can be pro􀀗uced on 1 ha of Pennsylvania land under nonirrigated conditions, (2) to determine the mineral content and uptake by high-yielding alfalfa crops, and (3) to obtain more realistic on-farm estimates of alfalfa production costs. To achieve the program goals, hay production for each harvest from 2.02-ha farm fields was …

Estimation Of Digestibility Of Legume Forages By Means Of Morphological Parameters, W Kuhbauch

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Forage quality is normally evaluated by time-consuming and costly laboratory analyses. It appears promising to use mor­phological parameters to evaluate forage quality in alfalfa and red clover. During progressive growth of white clover, red clover, and alfalfa, the leaf and stem portion was separated to determine the fiber fraction according to the Van Soest method and to

estimate digestibility by the procedure of Tilley and Terry. Stem : leaf ratio and stand height as a measure of stem length were used as morphological parameters. Leaves of the three legumes vary only slightly in concentration of cell-wall material and in digestibility …